Oya and her Rainbow

The other day I noticed there was a rainbow coming into my house through the window. Ever the opportunist, I grabbed by two Oya Voodoo dolls and put them in the rainbow to charge them up. Here is a picture of one of the Voodoo dolls standing next to her rainbow. I think she is quite beautiful, don't you? (Click on the picture to see a larger pic).

Celebrate Yule with Voodoo Art Dolls from the Mystic Voodoo!

I admit it, I have been touched by the spirit of the Jule nissen, the Scandinavian equivalent to Santa Claus (sort of...). In any event, I am having a Yuletide spectacular sale at the Mystic Voodoo where you have the chance to purchase one of these very cool Voodoo art dolls at half price or lower. I could call it my end of the year clearance sale, but Yuletide Spectacular sounds so much more exciting.

The first guy up for sale is this Woodland Moss Faery guy. Moss faeries are believed to have originated in Switzerland and possibly Germany. Some are even known to have come from the Islands and Africa. These ethereal creatures have butterfly wings attached to their bodies. They come in both female and male forms that are slender and human like. They are very shy. Human sightings are very rare especially as more woodland areas disappear to development.



The next Voodoo doll is that of Ogun, the Patron Loa of Fire, Hunting, Metals, Politics, War, and the Unemployed. Yes, he is a busy god with many responsibilities, the least of which is being the Father of technology. That's right, without Ogun, there would be no internet and no blogs. For this reason alone, Ogun rocks, wouldn't you say?



And then, there is the goddess of patience and wisdom, Gran Ibo, more commonly known as the Swamp Witch. Gran Ibo is the wise old woman of the swamp; she has experience of the ancient, the oldest of old, beyond memory, in the roots of the beginning of time. She sits and waits, watching and embracing the heart of the swamp. She holds the secrets of the mysteries that lie therein. She is the one who knows the magic and the medicine found within her little sisters who are the healing plants and herbs of the forest. She knows the power of the water. Through her, the roots, plants, herbs, and flowers of the swamp communicate to the voodooist.



Next we have the loa Gran Bwa (Big Wood) who is in love with his big, hard penis (no joke!)Gran Bwa is the Master of the Sacred Forest and the land to where the newly dead travel. He is the protector of all wild animals, knows the secrets of herbal medicine, and the secrets of magic hidden in the herbs.Gran Bois is a very loving loa with a great sense of humor and full of advice. Gran Bois can be petitioned for healing and prosperity and general advice. He is likened to Saint Sebastian and Saint Christopher in the Catholic tradition.

Oh there are more, so many more. But you have to visit the Mystic Voodoo to see them. So what are you waiting for? Go check them out...just to see the pictures is worth the visit.

The Mystic Voodoo

Studio Voodoo Doll

All art is a form of self-expression, and is sometimes inspired by people, places, other art, music, or objects. I have been toying around for awhile to create a Voodoo doll for my friend Koz Mraz of Studio Voodoo. He has been kind enough to allow me the use of his music for any of my art endeavors, and I have taken advantage of that. I have used several tracks for my Voodoo doll videos at YouTube. In any event, Studio Voodoo's music is rhythmic, ethereal, conceptual, and many other things, but one thing is for sure, it bears little resemblance to anything else.

So, I created this Voodoo doll specifically for Studio Voodoo. The face was inspired from the mask on the home page of their website and the rest just made itself. Here are a couple of pics of my Studio Voodoo doll, and while I have a couple of tweaks to make on him, he will soon be traveling in a box to sunny California where he will reside with Koz and undoubtedly named something special.

BTW, you have to check out Studio Voodoo's Fire and a Prayer...they wrote a song about me a didn't even know it!

Voodoo Art and Brickfish Contests

I need your help to finish graduate school! Please take a moment to view my entries to the Brickfish Show Me your Art 2 and Photography Blowout contests, and if you like what you see, vote for me. I really appreciate it as I need to win to pay for my tuition! Thank you!

Check it Out!

Population Explosion!

Help! Kitties are everywhere!

Every year around this time I make a slew of my black cat charm doll familiars in celebration of one of the most iconic images of Halloween and New Orleans Voodoo - the black cat. Indeed, the black cat is considered to be the most powerful animal in New Orleans Voodoo, bringing massive good luck in matters of money, gambling, and general financial success. It has not always been this way, however.

In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens: in other cultures, they are considered to be good omens. In New Orleans Voodoo, black cats have been the subject of controversial sacrifice in the past, particularly with regards to finding the one bone in the body that is all powerful.

The abuse of black cats for sacrificial and ritual reasons is no longer practiced nor encouraged in New Orleans. On the contrary, they are viewed as good luck in hoodoo, particularly regarding gambling matters, such as playing cards or the lottery.

These black cat Voodoo poppets are loaded with charms, beads, buttons, and what-nots to bring you the best of luck in all of your endeavors! They are stuffed with aromatic, magickal herbs to bring you the best of luck and happiness. Each cat comes with catnip to use as an offering, 7 removable whisker pins, and instructions for use as a focusing tool in meditation. To purchase, visit the Mystic Voodoo.

Day of the Dead Bride and Groom

Here are the latest Day of the Dead creations - Catrin and Catrina newlyweds. These two calaveras will be featured in a new book called Day of the Dead Crafts, that will soon be released by Cantata Books and Wiley Press.
Artwork Name: Catrin and Catrina Bride and Groom Calaveras
Description: This Day of the Dead Voodoo doll couple is made in honor of Catrin and Catrina, made popular by renowned author, journalist and political cartoonist Guadalupe Posada, (1852-1913). The names Catrin and Catrina mean "dapper," and they reflect the fashions of the times.


Materials used: Sticks, Spanish moss, acrylic paint, beads, fabric, lace, and polymer clay.
How it was crafted: This smart-looking couple were made combining the traditional styles of New Orleans Voodoo folk art and contemporary Mesoamerican decorative design.



Inspiration: I am inspired by the humor and whimsy associated with death that this art form portrays. I am inspired by the myth and archetype of Spanish and Indigenous cultures. Day of the Dead art takes death out of its shadow and into the beauty of spirit; it is a means of honoring our ancestors in a manner that is celebratory and lighthearted.


Your experience: As a New Orleans native and the daughter of two of the best artists in the world, I was exposed to a wide variety of art forms from the time I was old enough to be aware. My father was a formally trained medical illustrator (Donald Alvarado, he illustrated the Gray's Anatomy among other things) and my mother was largely a self taught painter of folk art, nature, and mystical imagery. I have held a paintbrush since I was old enough to walk, and have worked in a variety of mediums throughout my lifetime, including pen and ink, painting, mosaic, beaded jewelry, Voodoo art, and crafting art dolls.


What draws you to Day of the Dead art? Día de los Muertos is a holiday rooted in the ancient past of Mesoamerica, which has rich historical imagery. My ancestors were in awe of the eternal cycle of life and death and honored those who passed on with great feasts, sacrifice, ritual, dance, and sacred art that depicted their beliefs and customs. I come by this traditional art form honestly through my earliest traceable ancestors, Aztec King Xicotencotl of Tlaxcala and Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish conquistador. When I create Day of the Dead art, I pay homage to my ancestors and to the many indigenous people who were killed by war and lost in the process of colonization. May the flame of life smile upon the darkness of death!

Frida Kahlo Day of the Dead Doll

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist whose paintings were influenced by the indigenous cultures of Mexico, as well as European influences. Her paintings were vibrant in color with vivid imagery and incorporated elements of realisim, surrealism and symbolism. Frida was married to world famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera. She has achieved great international popularity especially since the 1970s. Frida Kahlo is the subject of many Day of the Dead artists, who portray her in paintings, murals, and calaveras, the popular Day of the Dead dolls.

This Day of the Dead altar doll is my tribute to Frida Kahlo, the great "woman of women". She is created in my unique conjure art tradition, combining the tradition of the Aztec calavera with New Orleans Voodoo art. She measures approximately 8 inches including the feathers on her head. She is wearing vintage lace and ribbons, and adorned with flowers, feathers, and rhinestones. She comes signed for authenticity.

Here, she is shown with her husband, the world famous Diego Rivera.

Both Day of the Dead dolls are available from my website, The Mystic Voodoo.

Voodoo Vampire Doll

Vampires are said to be mythological or folkloric creatures that exist on the essence of humans and/or animals. This Vampire Voodoo doll is inspired by the mystical vampire archetype.

Typically, vampires are cadavers that have been reanimated and who feed by consuming the blood of living beings. In folklore, the term usually refers to the blood-drinking humans of Eastern European legends, and similar legendary creatures from other regions and cultures. Some cultures have stories of non-human vampires, including real animals such as bats, dogs, spiders, and mythical creatures such as the chupacabra of Mexican origin. While the characteristics of vampires vary widely among different cultures, it is commonly believed that one gains supernatural powers through the consumption of human blood.

This Vampire voodoo doll is created in what I have coined the New Orleans Voodoo Hoodoo conjure art tradition out of Spanish moss and sticks. He is a human/bat cross and measures approximately 7 x 2 inches. He is dressed in a black velvet robe, and his face is hand sculpted out of polymer clay and painted. He has an authentic Swarovski crystal on his forehead, which is one of my trademarks. He is self standing and comes signed by the artist for authenticity.

Now up for auction at ebay!

Day of the Dead Skull Art

Día de los Muertos is a holiday rooted in the ancient past of Mesoamerica. My ancestors were in awe of the eternal cycle of life and death and believed in the need for sacrifice to assure the continuation of life. The Aztecs of past honored those who have passed on with great feasts, sacrifice, ritual, dance, and sacred art that depicted their beliefs and customs. After the trauma of the Spanish conquest, their beliefs persisted by adapting them to the holidays of the Christian calendar. Although much of the ancient indigenous religions were lost, the core aspect of the days of the dead was kept. This core consists of the altar with offerings to the dead.

Many of the symbols found on the altars of today are the result of the melding of Spanish and indigenous art and religion. The indigenous cross of the four cardinal points became the Christian cross, and the Tree of Life became the Garden of Eden. The Spanish brought elements of the Feast of Fools associated with carnival (farewell to flesh) where everything is open to ridicule, mockery, and lightheartedness. Everything is equal in death; no one escapes its inevitability. This is where the humor and whimsy associated with today’s los Días de los Muertos in all likelihood stems from.


During the latter part of the colonial period, the people began making brightly colored sugar –candy skulls and exchanging them between family and friends as tokens of affection. These became common items alongside the image of Guadalupe, flowers, water, bread, and copal. Skeleton dolls made of clay and paper maché were made depicting people in everyday activities. These dolls soon became a part of tradition. I come by this tradition honestly through the lineage of my father, King Xicotencotl of Tlaxcala and Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish conquistador.

Pictured are some painted skulls from which I will soon be making calaveras. This is a time consuming and tedious process, so I try to make a few skulls first and then put them together in doll form. My style of making Day of the Dead dolls is unique because I combine the traditional New Orleans Voodoo art style of a base of sticks and Spanish moss for the body. I then dress them in fancy colors and I typically create skull heads with brightly colored designs.

Visit Day of the Dead Altar Art for more pictures of my Day of the Dead art.

Pumpkins and Fairies and Loas, Oh My!

Pictured is Ma'man Brigit, Fairy Ju Ju guy, and the Great Pumpkin Voodoo dolls - three of my latest creations.

Ma'aman Brigit is the Voodoo loa of the cemeteries, money, and the dead. She is also summoned when you have been the victim of dark magic.

Fairy Ju Jus are butterfly fairies with the ability to fly, cast spells and to influence or foresee the future. This guy has his bottle of fairy dust ready to do his magic at a moment's notice.

I made the Great Pumpkin Voodoo doll to celebrate the up and coming Halloween holiday...my favorite holiday of the year.

Here is a close up of Ma'man Brigit's face. I am very pleased with how she came out. I think she is one of my most beautiful creations. How would you like to meet those luscious lips when you cross over to the other side! Ma'man Brigit is the exotic dancer of the Voodoo, easily seducing anyone in her presence through her sexual dancing.

Fairy Ju Ju guy is really a butterfly fairy. Butterfly fairies are sometimes called the moss people. These lovely creatures have butterfly wings attached to their bodies and come in both female and male forms that are slender and human like. They are very shy. Human sightings are very rare especially as more woodland areas disappear to development. I was inspired to make him in part because I think there needs to be more fairies of color, and in part because I had this awesome pod that was perfect for a fairy hat.

The Great Pumpkin Voodoo doll was inspired by the Great Pumpkin of Peanuts fame. Linus sits in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear with hopes that he will fly through the air and deliver toys to all the good little children. The mystical side of the Pumpkin archetype goes way back to the pagan belief that evil spirits roamed the earth and returned to their homes at winter time. Jack was a man who was not welcome in heaven or hell when he died, and destined to roam the earthly world. He carried a carved pumpkin - hence the term, "Jack'o Lantern". Celts followed this practice of placing carved pumpkins, potatoes, rutabagas, and turnips in their windows and doors to ward off evil spirits.
This Great Pumpkin was created as a slightly pudgy Voodoo doll out of sticks and Spanish moss, and his face is hand sculpted out of polymer clay. He has a beaded vine coming from the stem of his head which drapes around his body and neck.

Swamp Granny Hoodoo Gator

Hoodoo revolves around veneration of water spirits, the least of which is one of Louisiana's most ancient residents – the ALLIGATOR. This Swamp Granny Hoodoo Gator carries with her the essence of the most traditional of rootwork ingredients, and is the keeper of ancient wisdom.

Swamp Granny Hoodoo Gator is one of my favorite creations. She is constructed in the traditional New Orleans fashion out of Spanish moss and sticks, and her face is hand sculpted out of polymer clay and painted. She has an evil eye bead on top of her head to ward off evil and negativity. A piece of vintage lace drapes over her head. A turtle sits on her shoulder and she wears a necklace of a number of symbolic talismans. She is rather large, measuring approximately 14.5 x 6 inches. As with all of my pieces, she comes signed by me for authenticity.

To see more Hoodoo Voodoo dolls, check out the Mystic Voodoo. There you can see my Hoodoo Root doctors and witchdoctors, as well as a complete line of Voodoo dolls and Voodoo art dolls.

Voodoo Virgin

I came across this article and thought it was worthwhile noting. It talks about how a religious group in Ontario is protesting a documentary that features Argentinian artists who make powerful social statements through their art. One of the artists apparently has a rendering of the Virgin Mary as a Voodoo doll, which is one of the pieces causing an uproar. You can read the whole story here.

Indeed, religion and politics have always been a powerful influence in the creative processes of many artists. In the Voodoo Pantheon, there is an important group of female goddesses whose first name is Erzulie. Erzulie is three in aspect: she can be Erzulie Freda, a virgin goddess likened to the Virgin Mary; Erzulie Dantor, patron loa of lesbian women and protector of women and children who have been abused; or La Siren, a personification of the sea and goddess of motherhood. Erzulie Erzulie Dantor, is often depicted as the Black Madonna (pictured)or the Roman Catholic "Saint Barbara Africana". My rendering of Erzulie Dantor as a Voodoo doll displays the same scars on her cheek as the Black Madonna.

Erzulie’s personal story is a tragedy. She was a warrioress who fought with her people during the Haitian revolution. However, her own people cut out her tongue so that she would not tell their secrets should she be captured. Thus, she is mute and can only speak a stammering monosyllable, "ke-ke-ke-ke-ke!" This is the sound of her tongue clicking on the roof of her mouth. She is often pictured with her daughter Anais, who serves as her translator and interpreter.

Read more about Erzulie here.

mystic voodoo

Ma'man Brigit

In Vodou, Ma'man Brigit (Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, Manman Brijit) is the mother of cemetaries, the loa of money and death, and the wife of Baron Samedi. She may be related to the "triple" Celtic goddess of poetry, smithcraft, and healing, Brigid/St. Brigit, as her name is Irish in origin. She is usually depicted as a white woman. The first woman's grave in a cemetery in Haiti is dedicated to her. Her colors are black, purple and white, her number is nine, and her particular days of service include Monday and Saturday. Her sacrificial animal is a black chicken. She drinks rum laced with hot peppers - "gaz lakrimojen Ayisyen" (Haitian tear gas), and like her husband and the rest of the Guede Spirits, she is a "potty mouth" and uses profanity. Ma'man Brigit will protect gravestones if they are marked properly with a cross. Ma'man Brigit is known to rub her private parts with hot peppers, and those who appear to be faking possession by her in a Vodou ceremony may be subjected to this test, which they obviously would not pass if their possession is not genuine. She is a very sexual dancer, and her skill in the banda dance is legendary.

Ma'man Brigit is one of my best selling dolls. To make a Ma'man Brigit Voodoo art doll, I start with the basic two sticks and Spanish moss and then I wrap her in white vintage laces. I craft her face out of polymer clay and give her a white complexion and bright red lips, pointing to her Celtic roots. I try to make her very beautiful, as that is the way she comes to me. Her hair is made from fancy yarns and Spanish moss, and I drape more lace over her head and shoulders. She wears a necklace with a lamp-worked glass skull bead, signifying her relationship with the dead.

To learn how to make your own Voodoo doll, please visit The Mystic Voodoo.

Read more about Ma'man Brigit...

mystic voodoo

Niche Voodoo: Getting Traffic for Voodoo Dolls

Niche Voodoo: Getting Traffic for Voodoo Dolls

Ju Ju Guardian Charm Doll

In my never-ending quest to remain original and innovative within the realms of tradition, I decided to break free from the usual creation of Voodoo dolls with Spanish moss and sticks. This time, I used red raffia.

I often get emails from people asking "Do I have to use Spanish moss?" and "Where can I find it?" While I have made countless Voodoo dolls out of materials other than Spanish moss, I usually try to incorporate the moss as a sort of trademark. The use of Spanish moss is a decidedly New Orleans thing, and is a perfect example of how you make Voodoo dolls out of what is readily at hand. In New Orleans and Louisiana in general, Spanish moss is part of the natural world. It can be found in parks in the big oak trees and along the bayous in the cypress trees. It is plentiful, a little creepy when applied to doll making, and perfect for making the powerful Voodoo hoodoo dolls that are uniquely New Orleans.

This guy is a ju ju guardian charm doll. A ju ju is an object that is used to keep evil and negativity at bay. Ju ju guardian dolls are typically placed somewhere in the front of the home or by an entrance. I adorn my ju ju guardian dolls with a number of charms; hence, the title, Ju Ju Guardian Charm Doll.

You never used to see this style of doll outside of New Orleans, but now you can find people making them that are from anywhere. It is apparent that many of my creations are influencing others; this is evident in their titles and appearance (you know who you are). They say imitation is the sincerest from of flattery. I agree and love that my art can inspire others. That is what art is about, after all. To create an emotional response in others, to move people to think differently about the world. However, I actually ran across someone who copied one of my entire lenses at Squidoo and pasted it - pictures and all - into her blog. Without giving me any kind of credit, mind you. That is what is irritating. It took me hours to create that tutorial, the content is mine under Federal Copyright laws. So, if you plan to use any of my material, including the names of my dolls, please give me credit. I always give credit where credit is due. It would be nice (and legal) if others did the same.

Okay, that was my rant for the morning. Now feast your eyes on my wonderful new creation, made out of raffia, feathers, beads, fancy yarns, charms, and polymer clay. He has bright red lips and a crystal on his forehead, which is one of my trademarks. He is quite the gay fellow, isn't he?

To purchase one of my ju ju guardian charm dolls, head on over to the Mystic Voodoo, where art, psychology, and mythology collide!

mystic voodoo